Word broke tonight out of Las Vegas that Allen Iverson is reportedly in free agent talks with the Los Angeles Clippers that have been characterized as “very serious.”

It’s funny that back in the day, in order to get A.I. to fall in line, the Sixers threatened him with the worse punishment they could possibly think of – they were going to ship him to the Clippers. At the time, Allen was hurt, scared, and insulted … but now it could be where he suits up next season.
Of the three teams Iverson has been linked to this offseason – Memphis, Miami, Charlotte, and now Los Angeles – basketball-wise, you would have to consider the Clippers the worst option, right? In Miami, he’d be playing in the East with Dwyane Wade and with Memphis, he’d be running with a young, exciting squad. Beyond Blake Griffin (who had 27 and 12 in his summer league debut tonight), the Clippers are still just a mess.

i dont see how everyone is sleeping AI. he still has plenty left. i saw him workout two weeks ago an d he looked great. i do think he should be with a contender though.

07.13.09 at 11:14 pm

control

AI has a unique skill…he can turn any good team into a bad one. His problem is he thinks he can go 5on1 all day…fuck those other idiots on the court wearing the same colour jersey he has. That will never be a winning solution, not even when he was at his best. He sure as hell ain’t close to that right now.

If the guy fixed whatever the hell is broken in his head and he started playing nice with others, he’d be able to take any mildly skilled, somewhat athletic team to the playoffs any day of the week. Guy has the ability to draw defenses in like Tony Parker does, has the court vision (when he’s using it) and the passing ability (when he’s using it) to average 15 assists a game for a whole season.

He’s damaged upstairs though, he will never change. It sucks, his potential could have made him the best point guard to ever have lived, but he’s so selfish…

07.13.09 at 11:30 pm

ERIC

On All-Star teams and on the Olympic teams (won the gold in puerto rico tourney of americas in 2003, even though they got the Bronze in 2004), AI was able to defer to teammates and be a distributor and great off-the ball scorer. all the teammates loved his ability to break down the defense and create.

however, in the NBA, he feels like he is the best and doesnt need to defer to inferior players. he needs to understand that he is 33 years old, has lost a step and his body is starting to break down. if he can become that distributor and scorer (say average 16ppg, 6 apg) he can help a contending team like Dallas or a team with loads of talent that can benefit from his ability to penetrate like the Clips (yes, Camby, Griffin, Kaman, Baron, Gordon, Thornton, is talent).

i just dont think he feels he is a bench player (i agree, he is still a starter if he has the right mindset). he could be a solid bench player on the 2nd unit of the lakers or spurs. but he would have to accept bi-annual exemption.

I think Clips or Mavs would be the best fit for him at this stage.

07.13.09 at 11:49 pm

D.I. Dollar

A.I. to the Clip Dawgs would be ridiculous. B.D., A.I., Eric Gordon, Al Thornton, Marcus Camby, Blake Griffin, a hopefully healthy Kaman? We could do somethings in the West if they would just get a serious coach and they all bought into playing with each other. We wouldn’t play much defense but if we just scored 140 points a night no one could hang. It is almost enough to get me excited about my season seats this year. Please, Mr Iverson, don’t play with my emotions.

07.14.09 at 12:03 am

jay

not sure how this will work out…i see trouble all over this and no i dont hate ai at all!!!

07.14.09 at 12:06 am

Irishballer

@ bill

what position would he play in Dallas? he certainly isn’t coming off the bench… but he’s not gonna start over jkidd or jho.. wouldn’t work

I say go to miami, experiment w/ Dwade

07.14.09 at 12:10 am

KT

I’m not ready to give up on AI already. Regardless of what we think about his team mentality or his efficiency, at the end of the day…we are dealing with a warrior.

This is a contract year, he will have a chip on his shoulder and he makes the Clippers revelant as far as having star power potential.

Clippers Line Up

Boom Dizzle, AI, Al Thornton, Blake Griffin, Marcus Camby
and they have Eric Gordon and Chris “Yes I’m that ugly” Kaman coming of the bench. They are not completly without talent.

07.14.09 at 12:12 am

bill

Thanks Irishballer.

I saw Iverson as 2G with Marion at Small Forward. Maybe J-Ho off the bench with Terry as super subs?

Assumption would be that Iverson can run

*imagine Iverson in Golden State in Iverson’s prime.

Too bad iverson does not work well in the triangle. Imagine Kobe and Iverson lol. 90s all star team dream

07.14.09 at 12:17 am

billbone

If any other team in the league had blake griffin, eric gordon, al thorton, baron, and camby they would be considered a team with great upside, and probably be good. But because they are w/ the clips they will be horrible and probably have tons of freak injuries

07.14.09 at 12:29 am

Claw

If I’m the Clips I get him, just for the extra tickets he would be able to sell in LA. Plus there has to be a storyline in there somewhere with AI being beloved in Philly and Kobe being booed in his hometown but in LA everybody is on his d*ck.

AI vs Kobe in LA, that would have played well about 5 years ago. Hell, that backcourt 5 years ago with Baron Davis and AI would be sick.

07.14.09 at 12:32 am

J

Man I don’t understand the hate he’s getting for not coming off the bench or taking a lesser role. When you a resume like he does, even someone like Kobe or Lebron is gonna have a tough time sliding over to a being a 2nd/3rd option. I’m pretty sure ya’ll running your day jobs probably hate seeing some new kid take over your role as the focal point of a team. Let’s just accept for the fact who AI is and enjoy it since its almost time he’ll be hanging them up.

07.14.09 at 12:34 am

jzsmoove

I appreciate the talent but never have been a fan of AI. Nothin gonna change now for him either. Others before him at the same age are pegged as title chasers. He is pegged as unwanted free agent. THERE IS a reason for that. When the Clips and Memphis are involved in the conversation this late in his career, you know there is sumthin wrong. AI is the wrong answer.

07.14.09 at 1:01 am

Jason

Iverson’s not washed up, he can probably still put up 25 points a game if he’s able to dominate the ball like he’s always done but I don’t know why the Clippers would want him. They have some very good some young talent in Gordon and Griffin who should be getting the ball a ton. It makes no sense to add a guy who is so ball dominate, on top of a pretty dribble-happy point guard in Baron Davis, into the mix and potentially interfere with the development of their future.

I can understand it from a financial sense, maybe. Iverson in LA just seems to fit, his style, his charimsa, and with the economy the way it is, I couldn’t blame a owner from trying to increase their revenues.

I think Iverson could be a fit in Houston. All their alpha dog, no.1 shot creators have gone down. They’re going to be very offensively challenged. Iverson’s a much better version of Aaron Brooks and he’ll be allowed to control the ball a lot and play 40 plus minutes.

07.14.09 at 2:45 am

Danny

I’m not really sure Iverson’s lost a step. He’s just been in less-than-ideal situations. I mean, he averaged a ton of points on Denver, which was just over a year ago.

But I think Gordon has some serious star potential if he can stay healthy and keep himself on the floor. The trajectory of an NBA career depends so much on confidence and the situation that I don’t think it’s worth it for the Clips.

07.14.09 at 2:54 am

aaron

no right now i’d rather have eric gordan than AI. Also he wouldn’t start at point over BD so he’d come off the bench? We saw how that worked…

07.14.09 at 5:22 am

kowtz

Go to LA… Lakers for the vet minimum…

07.14.09 at 9:12 am

wiz

ha I called this one…… I said the clippers would be a good match plus the clippers are a dum enough to take him….

07.14.09 at 9:12 am

wiz

ha I called this one…… I said the clippers would be a good match plus the clippers are a dum enough to take him….

07.15.09 at 2:07 am

MR. 2012

iverson and B. Davis on the same team? No one else is going to be able to get their shot off.

07.15.09 at 6:22 am

Sweet English

‘Of the three teams Iverson has been linked to this offseason – Memphis, Miami, Charlotte, and now Los Angeles’

This now becomes the downward spiral of Iversons carrer. I said it from the start and now Ive been proven right. Iverson was larger than life when he came to Philly and people loved him but he was never destined to win a ring with them. He was not about team and that showed on and off the court.He will proably be with another two teams before he retires but will never again have a dominating role as a player. Money isn’t everything and he treated it like it was. Now he is praying for a team to just even want him. Very sad when they let anybody into the NBA

07.17.09 at 11:01 am

Earl aka The Philly Gladiator

HE NEEDS TO BACK TO PHILLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY,,,HE WILL MASSACRE ANYBODY AND ANYBODY TRYING TO GUARD HES A MONSTER JUST LET HIM SCORE BY HIMSELF,,,HE WANTS ANOTHER TITLE RUN…HE DESERVES A FUCKING TITLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

07.24.09 at 10:02 am

roc

all ya’ll need 2 stop haten on AI, ya’ll prob cant play ball ya’ll selfs, he’ll bust any of ya’ll ass, and if ya’ll seen him on the street ya’ll probley suck him off, get a life and stop fuckin haten.